Tractor



H- QUINBY.

TRACTOR Jan. 2, 1923.

FILED MAY 3,1922.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

. B J, g

- gins.

Patented Jan. 2., i923.

HARRISON QUINB'Z, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB T9 WILLIAM: H.- MICFARLAND, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACTOR.

Application filed may 3,

To all 11 7mm may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON QUINBY, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Indianapolis, in the county of Iriarion and State of Indiana, have invented or discovered the new, useful, and improved lractors, of which the following is a specilication.

Myinvention consists in certain new and useful improvements in tractors, and it more particularly relates to farm and garden tractors adapted for use in crop cultivation.

In such work it is a great advantage to be able to Vary the tread or spacing between the tractor wheels, as the tractor is sometimes used to straddle a row and at other times run along between two rows without straddling.

For the purpose of enabling a change in the tractor tread I provide a tractor l'iavinga frame provided with two spaced apart longitudinal or side members, each of the same having mounted thereon a rotary driving member, such as a sprocket or gear which is operatively connected with the tractor en- Engaging the axial bore of each of the sprockets or other driving member is an axle which is longitudinally slidable in suitable bearings in the corresponding side member of the frame, so as to be shiftable into a. position wherein said axle projects inwardly from the side member or outwardly from the same as may be desired. The tractor wheels are mounted on the projecting ends of said axles. and thus when the axles project inwardly, the wheels are close to gether, and, on the contrary, when the axles project outwardly the wheels are spread apart. If desired one of the axles may project ouiwardly and the other inwardly, so that one wheel will be outside of the frame and the other inside of frame, t. us giv in i a third tread breadth. I

- the accompanying drawings, wherein hown a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. l is a side elevation showing a portion of the tractor frame and the wheels mounted outside of the same; Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line llll in Fig. 1, and 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the tractor wheels shifted to the inside of the frame.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

A and'A. represents the two side members of the tractor frame which are connected together, as at front and rear, by cross braces. .lhe rear cross member is indicated at B in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The side members are bifurcated horizontally to receive the rotary driving members C and C, respectively. These driving members may be sprockets, as shown, or gears, the same being operatively connected to the tractor engine in the usual manner. The bifurcated side members of the frame are provided with bores 1 alined with the axial bore of the sprockets, to receive the short driving; axles D and D, respectively. To reduce the friction I prefer to make the axles fit the bores rather loosely, ball bearings being provided to engage the axles. Thus I may provide annular recesses 2 surrounding the outer ends of the bores l which register with similar recesses 3 in plates bolted to the side members, thus completing seats for the ball bearings 5 which engage the axle on either of the sprockets and thus support the tractor on the said axles.

it and E represent the two tractor wheels which may be mounted on the outer protruding ends of the axles, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or on the inner protruding ends of the axles," as in Fig. 3, the axles being forced to protrude from their-bearings at either end, as required. The axles are preferably pro- 'vided with lcey slots 6 extending from end. to end, and the sprockets are provided. with fixed keys 7 which engage said lieyways, insuring the rotation of the axles with the sprockets but permitting the axles to slide relatively to the sprockets. The wheels are similarly provided with fixed keys 8 which insure the rotat mi of the wheels with the ax es but permit the wheels to be mounted or (I mounted from the without dilii culty Any convenient means may be used to hole. the wheels in. place on the axles and to pre vent accidental longitudinal movement of the axles. Thus I have shown. one end of each axle provided with an axial threaded hole 9 into which a bolt l0 may be screwed to hold the washer ii on the end of the axle. At the other end of the axles I have shown the washer 12 provided with an annular boss 13 which extends inwardly to contact with the end of the axles, the bolt 1e being extended through said washer into a threaded ill) axial hole in the end of the-axle. In such case the axles are made somewhatshorterthan if they extended entirely through their bearings and the wheels. 15 represents the lower portion or, the

sprocket or gear boxes which may be integral with or attached to the frame. The upper portions of such boxes are usually carried by the engine housing; which is no-t shown. 16 are thrust washers.

When the tractor is to'be used to straddle a row, or where it is being used for traction purposes, the, wheels are placed outside of the frame, as shown in'Figs. 1 and 2. where the tractor is to run between rows, the'wheels are placed inside the frame, as shown in Fig. 3.

A third combination or tread may bereffected by placing; one-wheel inside the frame and the other wheel outside of the same.

If desired one o. the wheels maybe-entirely omitted and the other wheel mounted on its axle insidethe frame, thus'forming a one wheel tractor which will travel between two closely set rows without injury to the crops.

It is evident from the foregoing that the tread of the tractor may be quickly and easily shifted to suit the particular use in view. i

What I desire to claim is- I l. lina tractor, the combination of a frame having apair of spaced apart side members, horizontally disposed bearings 011 said side members, a short driving axle mounted in each-of said bearings, said axles being longitudinally slidable in said bearings whereby said axles may be individually caused to protrude from said side member either outwardly or lnwardly of said side members,

When a narrow tread isrequired, as-

of April, 1922.

driven lmembers mounted on said an es, and "a pair of tractor wheels, one of frame ihavingzia pair of spaced apartside members, a rotary driving member mounted on each of "said side members,*a short =axle'engaglng eaohof said rotary members rand slidable longitudinally therein whereby said axlesmay be; eaused to protrude I either outwardly or lHWfllKllYOfSllCl frame-and a pair of traction :wheels adapted to be mounted on the protruding ends or said axles whereby sald wheels may be mountec'b either outslde or inside of sald itrame, for the pur- I withza linedseatsy-a"rotary driving member mounted ineach ofisaid seats, said sicle'melnhers being provided with horizontall -dis- ,PL sed 'bearmgmalmed with the'axesof sald rotary driving members, a short axle adapted to beninserted' through said bearings and ends of said axles, whereby -said traction wheels may a be mounted either outslde or 1n-" side of said frame,1or theipurposer described. Signed at Pittsburgh, P2, this 229th: day

inmate oN oU NBY. 

